February 17 2012

11:35 PM

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. -- Jimmy Walker came to the Northern
Trust Open last year with momentum after tying for ninth at the
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. He went on to shoot three
rounds in the 60s at Riviera and finish in a tie for fourth.

Walker is in an even better position at the midway point of
this year's tournament -- ironically, on the heels of another tie
for ninth on the Monterey Peninsula. He fired the morning's low
round of 66 at Riviera and is tied for second at 4 under, two
strokes behind Phil Mickelson.

"I really like Riv," Walker said. "It's got a lot of history,
and it's a great golf course. I like a lot of stuff about it."

He's not particularly pleased with his driver, though. Walker
has only hit 13 of 28 fairways during the first two rounds,
although he has managed to find all but 13 greens in
regulation.

"You guys noticed that, huh?" Walker said when reminded of his
wayward tee shots. "I did, too, and I started to drive it a little
better coming down the stretch. I hit a few more, gave myself
some good looks, but ... you can manage the rough out here.

‘For the most part the pins are kind of tough, especially
when it starts going downwind, you definitely want to be in the
fairway, so that's what I'm going to work on a little bit."

The 33-year-old Walker is still looking for his first PGA TOUR
victory. But the former Nationwide Tour Player of the Year is
coming off a season where he posted career-bests in top-10 finishes
and on both the FedExCup standings and money list.

Walker already has two top-10s and has played in every event
outside of the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions --
one of 29 players in the field this week who can say the same.

"I feel great," Walker said. "I did a lot of conditioning in the
off season, and this is my sixth tournament in a row, so I feel
like all that is kind of paying off. We've got an RV that we're
traveling in, and it helps make you feel like you're at home more,
and that helps let you stay out a little longer."